South Africa: Ronwen Williams we haven’t spoken about it — we’re focused on qualifying’

Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams insists South Africa are not dwelling on FIFA’s recent points deduction and are fully focused on securing qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

South Africa’s campaign took an unexpected twist when FIFA overturned their 2-0 victory in a match where midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who was suspended, was fielded due to an administrative oversight.

The ruling handed their opponents a 3-0 win and cost Bafana Bafana three crucial points, dropping them to second place behind Benin on goal difference.

Despite the setback, Williams says the team remains calm and determined as they prepare to face Zimbabwe at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Thursday evening, followed by Rwanda in their final qualifier.

It wasn’t good news, but there’s nothing we can do about it, Williams said. We need to control what we can, and that is the next two games. We still have a big opportunity, and we know how important it is.

The 32-year-old goalkeeper stressed that the incident has not been a topic of discussion in camp, with players instead channelling their energy into performance and preparation.

Either way, these two games — Zimbabwe and Rwanda — were always going to be important. We haven’t spoken about the deduction because we can’t do anything about it now, Williams continued. We’d rather focus and put our energy into the next two games. If you see the energy in training, you can tell this is a team that means business.

South Africa remain unbeaten in their last 22 matches, a record Williams believes is built on unity and mental strength.

He played down the idea of being favourites, insisting that focus and hard work matter more than external expectations.

At the end of the day, the favourites tag doesn’t matter. The important thing is to show up and get the job done, he said. Over the past two years, people have had high expectations for this team, but we just control what we can control — that’s the mentality, the brotherhood, the team spirit.

He added: Through good and bad times, we’ve learned and grown as a team. We’ve come a long way and we know what it takes to be at the top. We’ve tasted defeat and success, and we want to stay on that road of success — to stay focused and keep the team spirit alive.

Williams praised the welcoming environment within the squad, saying it helps new players adapt and perform freely.

Anyone who joins this group immediately feels the team spirit. Once that’s there, you stay calm, enjoy your football, and can shine. We just need to work hard, stay focused, and get the job done.

South Africa face Zimbabwe at 18:00 GMT at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, with victory crucial to keeping their World Cup qualification hopes alive.